24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

September 13, 2009

Is 50:5-9
Jas 3:16-4:3
Mk 9:30-37

Reflecting on the readings, I recall the comment and sentiment expressed to me by a man. He said, “Bakit maraming naghihirap at kahirapan sa mundo kung tayo ay mahal ng Diyos?” Understandably, we can empathize with the man for nobody wants to suffer. We want to avoid as much as possible the hard things of life. Jesus never gave a satisfactory explanation why we have to suffer but He did give meaning to suffering. Thus the reason why He had to clarify and teach His followers what is the real meaning of discipleship. He started with a question so basic to their own knowledge of a messiah. Who do people say that I am? Who do you say that I am? Peter rightly answered: “You are the Messiah.” Yet Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him. Why? Was He inclined to believe that they may have the pervading concept of the messiah and not the right understanding of His being a messiah.

The move of Peter to remonstrate with Him proves that they have a different  version of a messiah than that of Jesus. Jesus has to rebuke Peter in front of all the disciples to emphasize the wrongness of what they may all be thinking like Peter. Did they change their mind or did Jesus succeed in correcting it? Seemingly NO, because all of them abandoned Jesus at the crucial moment of his arrest and Peter even denied him. In his moment of fulfilling his being a Messiah, they are not there to stand by Him. It was only after the Resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit did they come to an understanding and clarity of Jesus’ mission as a Messiah. He then told the disciples and the crowd, that his true followers will have to carry the cross and deny themselves just like Him. It is then a requisite for a disciple to carry the cross and to self-denial. He does not however compel us to take up his cross – that alone was his. He however invites us to take up our crosses. Our own pains, hurts inflicted on us, fears in uncertainty of our future, our struggles and many more. All these we have to bear in union with the passion and death of Jesus so as to share in His glory. Every cross, no matter how burdensome, if united with Christ’s cross becomes meaningful and a source of salvation and glory. It is crystal clear then that this is the high cost of following Him. His call is not in reality to make us miserable, but a call to God’s way of doing things. Even though it may be very difficult for us. This path He has taken is the same path He wants us to take – first the cross, then the glory.

Fr. Randy Botial, SVD
St. Peter The Martyr Parish
Pamplona, Cagayan